It’s JW3 by the sea! Brighton’s new multi-million-pound Jewish community hub days from opening
Jewish News' Michelle Rosenberg visits east Sussex as the trustees of Brighton and Hove Jewish Community finally take ownership after eight years
“Build it and they will come,” says Marc Sugarman, CEO of Brighton & Hove Jewish Community, (BNJC) as it prepares to take ownership of a groundbreaking, multi-million-pound facility on 27 February.
BNJC was established in 2017 to revitalise Jewish life in the popular east Sussex seaside resort. As reported by Jewish News last year, when Sugarman, born and bar-mitzvahed in Brighton, discovered its shul was in financial difficulties, he determined to take action to safeguard the future of the 250-year old Jewish community.
Less than an hour’s train ride from London Victoria, the charitable initiative at 29-31 New Church Road in Hove has been generously supported by the Bloom Foundation in partnership with BHHC (Brighton and Hove Hebrew Congregation).
Just weeks away from completion and a team of 10 ready to run it, the hub features a new Orthodox shul, complete with mikveh, (approved by 95-year old Rabbi Posen, described by BNJC as “the world authority, bar none”), the Shoresh nursery for 26 children, aged from three-to-five years old, a kosher restaurant that can host up to 130 diners, a bakery, deli, shop and gym (which has a Shabbat-friendly membership option for those who observe it).
Sugarman tells Jewish News that he believes “this community hub will be our chance to offer something unique to our local and international Jewish community. Both in terms of the outstanding facilities we have on offer to support Jewish life in the beautiful city of Brighton, and the love and care that has gone in to producing a community build of such quality and intention.”
With little kosher provision in Brighton, Sugarman and his team “thought about what we needed to put on site in order to bridge the gap”. That need translated into “kosher food; co-working; events”. In Brighton, says Sugarman, “we’ve had to think about the infrastructure of Jewish life. In London, it’s just there.”
Co-working office spaces are on offer, with collaborations already agreed with Jewish Care and Work Avenue. BNJC is also in talks with London’s JW3 to stream speaker events live into the new space.
Together with the nursery and gym memberships, the facilities are expected to contribute to the financial upkeep of the space. There is also the option of opening up the restaurant as a simcha space to drive revenues further.
“The biggest make or break for us is going to be the restaurant,” says Sugarman. “No question.” He says their economic model is about having attractions on site to drive guests in. “The food has to be of such quality that the whole residential community will want to come,” he continues.
Brighton’s first fully kosher kitchen will be run by Israeli chef Yanir Mrejen, who believes that “bringing kosher options to any city is a real Mitzvah”. He’s worked alongside world-renowned chefs, including Gordon Ramsay and has created a menu “centred around fresh Mediterranean ingredients”, as well as “Ashkenazi staples like chicken soup”.
The restaurant will offer a Deliveroo-type service as well as room service to residents.
There are 45 homes available either for purchase or rental, ranging from one-bedroom flats to houses. Two-bedroom apartments start from £437,000, and the five-bedroom mews houses start from £1,500,000. Over half the homes have residents moving in over the next few months.
Sugarman says they’re keen to offer the rental space to youth groups running Shabbatons: “We’re getting interest from across the board, Jewish and non-Jewish people; from people who go to reform shul and people who don’t go to any shul.
“It’s also a mixture of ages, from those older people who want to retire, to younger people who want to start, and be part of a younger community. There is no obvious centre of gravity – but if there is one, I’d say it’s more young Orthodox. This centre has galvanised people to take notice of their religion a bit more.”
When fully operational, marketing and events officer Ally Goldberg tells Jewish News the hub will offer a diverse range of activities to “hopefully appeal to as many people as possible and create the community feel that BNJC is all about.”
Weekly classes are expected to include improv comedy, yoga, zumba and art, together with academic lectures, film nights and a Jewish book club. Goldberg says there will be “additional programming centred around the various Jewish holidays throughout the year, and many collaborations with the wonderful organisations and individuals in the Brighton community, the Jewish community, and beyond.”
Sugarman hopes the centre “will become something truly special for our seaside city”, and “a destination for the Jewish community nationally and internationally too.
Recognising the anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian activism in the city – which saw the closure of the Israeli-owned EcoStream store in 2014 after relentless attacks, Sugarman notes that ‘good friends’ to BNJC include Lord Mann, the government’s independent adviser on antisemitism and Lord Ian Austin.
BNJC aims to be a place of diversity and acceptance, collaboration and community. Sugarman says: “Most prejudice is born out of ignorance, so having a presence and making it very open to the local community, so they can come in, they can have a bite to eat, they can see what Jewish culture is, they can understand the Jewish religion better, will go a long way to breaking down stupid stereotypes.”
BNJC trustee, barrister Natasha Isaac says their emphasis is on community: “We like being our Jewish selves here.”
Sugarman hopes the centre “will become something truly special for our seaside city”, and “a destination for the Jewish community nationally and internationally too. We have a dynamic, young team in place to try to make it all happen, so I we hope the Jewish community will come to visit us from all four corners as they say, and be a part of our journey.”
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